Hockey

John Tortorella to coach the Sabres: Jeff Marek opens the door
Pablo Herrera-Vergara
John Tortorella to coach the Sabres: Jeff Marek opens the door
Credit: NHL

While the Canadiens are heading in the right direction after a few years of misery, the Sabres are caught up in a rebuild that seems to have no end in sight. The New York State team hasn't made the playoffs since 2013 and, despite the countless picks they've had in recent years, the culture hasn't changed, nor have the results. You won't be surprised to find that the Sabres aren't off to a good start this season. They're 1-3 and fans have already shown their frustration by throwing jerseys on the ice and selling tickets for $4. What will it take to wake the team up? A change of general manager?

[ content-ads] Sportsnet columnist Jeff Marek opened the door for the Sabres to seek out former Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekäläinen to replace current GM Kevyn Adams. Marek went even further, suggesting that John Tortorella could come in and shake things up. The two men worked together in Ohio, and in Buffalo, change has to come first and foremost at management level. It's not right to have so many good selections, but not be able to rebuild a team. Then the new head coach shouldn't be called John Tortorella. I have a lot of respect for his career, but it's time to move on. His methods haven't worked before, the results are ephemeral. There are so many good young coaches waiting for their turn in the AHL who could do the job, as we saw with Spencer Carbury last year. His arrival in Washington brought a much-needed breath of fresh air. The Sabres don't have the same talent, but they have players like Rasmus Dahlin and Tage Thomposon to build around.

'Overtime'

– He's made some good choices.

– A polarizing topic.

–

– Ça ne va pas bien à Ottawa.

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